Colorado voters will pick winners of primary election contests today, as well as the replacement for former U.S. Rep. Ken Buck in a special election in the 4th Congressional District. The results will trickle in immediately after polls close at 7 p.m. tonight. Coloradans who still have not voted should not mail their ballot. Instead, bring them to a voting center or drop box. Check here for updates.  

7.53 p.m. Lauren Boebert wins Colorado CD4 GOP primary to replace Ken Buck

U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert was on track to return to Congress from her newly adopted district Tuesday night by winning the crowded GOP primary in Colorado’s 4th Congressional District.

At the same time, Republican Greg Lopez won election to serve out the remainder of former five-term U.S. Rep. Ken Buck’s term, following Buck’s resignation from the U.S. House earlier this year. Lopez, a former Parker mayor and two-time gubernatorial candidate, led Democratic nominee Trisha Calvarese by double digits.

The Associated Press declared Boebert had won the primary at 7:22 p.m., not long after polls closed. Lopez was declare the winner 10 minutes later.

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Calvarese also took an early lead in her party’s primary for the November election, with Ike McCorkle and John Padora trailing.

7 p.m. Boebert leads in CD4 GOP primary; Associated Press calls race for Boebert 

The Associated Press has called the primary race in Colorado’s 4th Congressional District for U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert.

Boebert appeared to be on track to return to Congress from her newly adopted district as preliminary results showed the Republican with an early lead Tuesday night in the crowded GOP primary in Colorado’s 4th Congressional District.

At the same time, Republican Greg Lopez took the lead in early returns to serve out the remainder of former five-term U.S. Rep. Ken Buck’s term, following Buck’s resignation from the U.S. House earlier this year. Lopez, a former Parker mayor and two-time gubernatorial candidate, led Democratic nominee Trisha Calvarese.

Jeff Hurd also early lead in CD3

Grand Junction attorney Jeff Hurd jumped into the lead Tuesday in the crowded Republican primary in the Colorado congressional seat left open when U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert moved across the state to run from a safer district, according to preliminary, unofficial returns posted shortly after polls closed.

Backed by many of Colorado’s current and former Republican elected officials, Hurd led former state Rep. Ron Hanks, whose underfunded campaign was buoyed by nearly $1 million in spending by Democrats and a progressive group that labelled Hanks “too extreme” for the district.

7 p.m. Espenoza leads incumbent Hernandez in House race

Colorado voters are poised to elect a new Democratic candidate for House District 4, as Cecelia Espenoza took an early lead over incumbent Rep. Tim Hernandez based on early returns Tuesday night.  

Espenoza was winning 56% of the vote to 44% for Henandez with a little more than 7,000 votes counted.

7 p.m. Sean Camacho leads Elisabeth Epps in House race

In a crucial legislative race in Denver, Sean Camacho is leading Rep. Elisabeth Epps in House District 6. Camacho, who received the endorsement of several prominent Democrats, had raised and spent more money than Epps, who clashed with her Democratic colleagues in the last several months.  

So far, Camacho has secured 65% of the vote, while Epps has 35% with roughly 11,000 votes counted, the early and unofficial tally shows. 

7 p.m. Rep. Tim Hernandez trails in House District 4

In House District 4, Rep. Tim Hernandez is trailing Cecelia Espenoza, the early and unofficial count shows. 

Espenoza so far has 56% of the vote compared to 44% for Hernandez of some 7,000 votes counted so far.  

6:30 a.m. Democrats slightly outpace Republicans in ballot turnout 

Voters have returned 622,000 ballots, with Democrats slightly outpacing Republicans but both lagging their respective turnout rates at the same point in previous cycles. That’s a turnout rate of roughly 16% of Colorado’s nearly 3.9 million active, registered voters, compared to the 18.5% turnout on the day before the state’s 2022 primary election.

The majority of ballots received so far were from voters age 55 and up. So far, women have been more likely to cast Democratic ballots, while men have been more likely to vote in the Republican primary.

5:30 a.m. Turnout is higher in 4th Congressional District, where voters will replace Ken Buck in a special election 

Turnout has been higher than the statewide average in the 4th CD’s special election, with 108,405 ballots received — 20% of the district’s active, registered voters. Voters in the district will decide who will replace former U.S. Rep. Ken Buck, who vacated his seat in March. 

Voters have four choices in the district, which covers Douglas County, a sliver of Larimer County and the Eastern Plains: Democrat Trisha Calverese, Republican Greg Lopez, Libertarian Hannah Goodman and Approval Voting Party nominee Frank Attwood.

Voting centers opened in the 4th CD on June 10 — a week ahead of the rest of the state — to provide extra time to vote in person for the special election. Unlike in the state’s primary election, special election ballots went to every registered voter, including members of Colorado’s minor political parties.

5 a.m. Four of Colorado’s eight congressional districts feature contested primaries

Six Republicans are running in the 4th CD for the chance to fill Buck’s seat next year: U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert, Deborah Flora, state Rep. Mike Lynch of Wellington, former state Sen. Jerry Sonnenberg of Logan County, state Rep. Richard Holtorf of Akron and Peter Yu.

Three Democrats are also running in the district — in addition to Calvarese, the party’s nominee in the special election. They are Ike McCorkle, who lost the last two elections to Buck, and John Padora.

On the Western Slope, the 3rd Congressional District also features a six-way Republican contest between Stephen Varela, Jeff Hurd, Russ Andrews, Lew Webb, former state Rep. Ron Hanks, formerly of Cañon City, and Curtis McCrackin. Democrat Adam Frisch is running unopposed for his party’s nomination.

Two Republicans are vying for the nomination in the 5th Congressional District, whose boundaries nearly coincide with El Paso County: former state Rep. Dave Williams of Colorado Springs, the chairman of the Colorado Republican Party, and Jeff Crank. Two Democrats — River Gassen and Joe Reagan — are also running for the seat held by retiring Republican U.S. Rep. Doug Lamborn.

In the northern Front Range’s battleground 8th Congressional District, the GOP primary pits state Rep. Gabe Evans of Fort Lupton against former state Rep. Janak Joshi, formerly of Colorado Springs, for the chance to challenge first-term Democratic U.S. Rep. Yadira Caraveo.

5 a.m. Several legislative primaries will define Colorado’s General Assembly’s ideological makeup

More than a dozen legislative primaries are also in the spotlight this year, including two Democratic primaries in Denver that could help define the party’s profile next year in the Colorado General Assembly.

• In House District 4, state Rep. Tim Hernández, who was appointed to the seat by a vacancy committee last summer, is facing a challenge by retired appellate judge Cecilia Espenoza.
• In House District 6, Sean Camacho is challenging state Rep. Elisabeth Epps. Epps, who has routinely clashed with the chamber’s leaders. Both districts are safe Democratic seats, so the winner of the primary will almost certainly determine who takes office in January.
• In Senate District 19, the primary to replace term-limited Democratic state Sen. Rachel Zenzinger is heating up between Obi Ezeadi, a Westminster City Council member, and state Rep. Lindsay Daugherty of Arvada.

Check out our primary voters’ guide below:

Colorado Voter Guide | 2024 primary election